Track turnout or the like



April 2, 1935; E. w. CARUTHERS 1,996,713

TRACK TURNOUT OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 1, 19:54 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V INVENTOR: E awWmruWKS, By M TTORNEYSV E. w. CARUTHERS 1,996,718

TRACK TURNOUT OR THE LIKE April 2, 1935. v

Filed Feb. 1, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 l n l l l I u U INVENTOR: E amW-Lmumag Patented Apr. 2, 1935 This invention relates to railway=track turnouts or the ,like; and-is particularlydirected .to turnouts,f"cro'ssings crossovers, slip switches; or

other so c'alled special track; structures, "particularlylthose in which frogs areemployd. a

' Heretofore it "has become common .practice among rail'roadst'o cant rails inwardly toward the center of 'the track. 'Such' canting ofzth'e rails is generally accomplishedby the use of inclinedltie platesfi 'It is believed that the cantingbf -rails on an inclination approximating the coning'of the V wheelsinsu'resj central loading of theirail head,

especiallygwithnew rails, and it is also believed that inclined tie -platesefiect a better distribution v j oint is tightened there results eitherlan imperfect joint orzelse the rails are improperly supported upon the-underlying'tie platesq: I 2: 1 T

e The object or this invention; stated generally, is to overcome the aforementioned difliculties ex perienced in joining canted rails'tov frog ar ms or like structure,i'andto this end"-I provideja special form of ifrog which? relieves the unsatisfactory condition atth'e-joints; ii 1 A 'furtlier "object of: the' invention to provide a frog or like tracklstructure :ofithe abovelcharacter which :is of simple and "inexpensive-maxim facture and which'departs to: afminimum from existing standard railway fro'gsl. f *1 7. Another morespeciflc object 'ofithe-inventicn is to provide, in combination with'such; aifrog, switch rails or special formwhich'effect-a transition from canted rails to; vertical rails between theirog and switch points, whereby the entire cfl difficulties"presented by the canting ofth I.'r ails.,-- a

, Another: specific object of the ;invention:is to 'which' is twisted throughout a region or its length to-render a transition from a canted section to a vatatlatoongthtitwstmtg s0 orrootodioo; to

, 1 The rigidrails .areiin reach instance canted :td-

preserverthetage line at ther-railh'eadas a con tinuousflstraightline;

' Otheri objects and advantages:characterizing my; :invention:will become more fully a parent from" thedescription hereinafter set forth'of certain embodiments. or examples of the practice of the invention, the descriptionzhaving reference to the, accompanying fdrawings;.;.,. Of the drawings Fig. represents E'a :planiview of a tracktumoutembodying myinventioni: T i V i i v FigrIIf represents annenlarged: plan of the switchirailsin theareadesignated at II in Fig.1;

. Fig. ;VI represents" a "cross section 'ofa arid-- stock ,rail,; ,taken' as, indicated. 7 by the lines ';;:Figi mlrepresentsza cross section of: the. switch and :stock rails "nearly-the: switch; point; taken as indicatedibyzthejlinesIVHI-+VIII cf Fig. II; 1 and,

- :Fig ;IX represents: a%similar1cr.oss section; taken asindicatedyby-the lines IX-IX of Fig. II.. 7

".:Wi th::-'reference particularlypto Fig. ,I- of. the

* FigaVlI represents acrossisectioncfrthe rail been'selectedffcr;illustraticnnit will be' readily understood from-the; ,:descriptio'n which follows that thein'ventioni's equally applicable" to. many 1 other fstructuresvwherein one track intersects an? otheniE Inithe drawings the frog is designated at at 16;;1; and their adjacent'stocli :rails 'atc8; 18 The. rails abutting against the iendsuof the'fswitch structure oftthe turnout or the-like is relieved" rails area-designated" at Ll0;-1:l I; For convenience, alliof therails of ;the turnout with thef'exception :of the switch rails 6;;- are referredto herein as :ifigid" rails".-:" fi- :2 V

ward the centersnof the'tracks defined'bmtheni', this being: accomplished accordingt to the cusstomarypractice by the use. of inclined tie plates. Though in actualp'ractice the rails would likely ments clearly the inclination has been somewhat dicate plane surfaces which,; arel substantiall be canted on an-i'ncl'ination of 1 in 40 or thereabouts, to illustrate the nature of the track eleexaggerated in the drawings."

One form of frog embodying features of my invention' is illustrated in Fig. III, and is there shown .to be of the rigid type. In'this example the central region. .of the frog ;designated,; at a is in all respects similar to frogs nowginj general use. Throughout the region a the tread surfaces I6 are flat or substantially so, as shown in VVILand-the base surfaces I! are likewise flat, while the web elements I 8 are vertical-ly 'disposed In referring to flat surfacesfihereih l usethe. word fiat' in a relative sense a id mead-toll parallel with the top plane of the ties in contrast to surfaces which are definitely 'hiclined with respect to the top plane-of the ties.

The point of the frog l is designated illithe I heel rails-atll, 22,:and the-Ming railsEM9223,

, r In order to preserve thexgage (theoretical lines extending wthroug'h the point as at the gage sides 'of the heads justbelowtherunning surface) -.as continuous zstraight rlin'es,1?the twist at the regions bis: accomplished, .as-.illus-.-:'

trated in Fig, V, by. displacing the head, weband base about the 7 axis Jr 'o'r an axissubstantially coincident with the gage line at the rail head;

This displacement of the rails does not. affect the gage lines, andproduces rail-sectionsiatbpposite sides of the regionottwisthaving plane bases inclined at 'anacuteangle z-witheach other.- Moreover, by; twisting the rails about-the axis 1:, the vertical distanceo'f the lowest points of the hat and inclined bases" above the ties.

is substantially the same as indicated in Fig; V.

Accordingly, standard tieplates haying flat sur-f faces. maybe used to' support the ':rails at one 7 tie plates may beused at the other side. At the regions ofthe extremities of the.;frog

side of the region of twist and standard inclined designated at c in Fig. III, 'thediverging 'rail arms are of uniform section with itli'eir tread 'surfaces Ilia and base surfaces Ila inclined-downward'totype. Q Throughout the central region a,'en1bracingthe frog point 21; the tread-and base sur= faces of the point 'rails f 28; 29 of thetrigid'a'nd movable wing rails 30, 3| tare flat and-their .web' elements are vertically disposedwwithrespect to the ties. At thextran'sitionregions-b the point rails 28; 29 and wing rails 30; -3I are'twisted'in the'manner already described:withfreference to.

Tot th'e trackaa frog having rail arms at the the solid 'railbound frog 01m IIL I At the out er most. regions cthe; point rails 28, 25.. and wing" rails, 30, 3L are canted toward theirgage sides.

It will be noted that the springior 'movableiwii g rail 3! has, a flat base surface, throughoutjthe throat oithe frog andthatit therefore bears uni formly upon the base plate 32. J a

With both types of frogs represented in the drawings, the extremities are canted'in-suchman ner as toproduce perfect alignment at the-rail *fis tfittlfi ag.

- to .itsstockirail 9; by reason of the fact: thatthe joints between the point and wing rails of the frog and the abutting rails 2, 3, 4, 5, of the tumout. I I

It isto be noted that all of the rigid rails of the turnout including those specifically designated at 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, l0 and II are canted toward the track center lines. In order to insure ithe properoperation of the movable switch railsgi, 1, these rails are specially designed as shown in Figs. II and VI.

;The switch rails 6, I arecanted at their heel ends through the regions designated at d. Throughout the regions e the switch rails 6, I are twisted, without displacement of the gage lines;

l throughout there'gions j which include the ysdtchpoints, the switch rails have flat bases and tread surfaces and vertically disposed; web elements.- At the switchpoints the relation of the switch rails to the stock rails is as represented in Figs. VIII and IX. In 'Fig. VIII the switch rai1 6 is closed with respect 1150 the stock raili8. The' stock rail 8 canted and :restsv upon the inclined-tseat 33,of;thefgagefplatej; .Tliestock T311115. held: rigidly in place" by an 'adjustable'rail brace ;31 .of.-zconventiona1 type. on the other handthe switchrailfi is vertically disposedwith its fiat. base {35 resting upon the horizontal. top surface ofthe-gage plate... As shownzin Fig. IX, :when the switch rail Iv is opened with respect flat baseof the, switch rail and the .top surface 3610f the gage Vplat'e'34 are disposed-in horizontal planes, there is uniformsbearing between theseielements. .Hence opening and closing of ,the switchbaflbe'effected smoothly and without unevenly. 2

From the above description it'will be apparent that the;incorporation in a railwaynturnout or thezlike 10f .frogs and switch rails twisted in the manner describedsolvesthe problem of cantin rails throughout such special track structures, without -.displacing: the gagelines; or disturbin the alignment of 'abuttingjrails at the joints, or afiecting'the uniform: bearing of,,.movable elements of theistructurefon the underlying plates. while I havereferred*to.certain specific embodiments ofimy :invention, which :have been de-, scribed in v sornedetail, it will; of 'j'cours'e, besa'p parent that many changes may I be, made in the particular fapparatus described withoutv departing fromthes'pirit of my inventionsas defined in the annexed claims. 2: 1

.i' Having thus described'my invention'eI claim:

1 1. A ,arailway track "turnout l or" the like com:- prising rigidrails canted'toward the"; centers of the :tracks, a: frog having its' extremities canted and ali gned with the. :endsdr' the abutting-rigid :heel-andftoe-canted and aligned with theiends of the abutting rigidrailsiandhavinga flat base throughout the region of the vfrog. point, i-and "switch rails having their heels canted andaligned withrtheends of the abutting rigid'rail'si'said 7 switch rails having fiat bases at the switch points. 1. ;3. A? railway track turnout 'or the ilike: com- ,pris'ing rigid rails canted toward the centers of ythe tracks, a froghavinga flat base throughout said switch rails being twisted without displace ment of their gage lines to afford canted heels aligned with the ends of the abutting rigid rails.

4. A railway frog'comprising a central portion having a flat base and diverging arms at the heel and toe twisted beyond the region of the frog point to afford canted extremities.

5. A railway frog comprising a central portion having a flat base and diverging arms at the heel and toe twisted without displacement of the gage lines to afford canted extremities.

6. A railway frog comprising heel and wing rails, the bases of said rails being flat throughout the region of the frog point, and said rails being twisted without displacement of their gage lines in regions at each side of the frog point sides of the rails.

whereby their ends are canted toward the gage 7. A railwayfrog comprisingheel andwing rails, the bases of said rails beingflat throughout the region of the frog point, and said rails presenting diverging arms of uniform cross section at eachside of the frog point, said arms being twisted without displacement of their gage lines to afford canted extremities. v V

.8. A special railway track structure having a region of uniform rolled railcross section, one

inclined at an acute angle with respect-to the base of the other'end portion; and characterized by an intermediateiportion twisted bodily about the gageline of the rail head, the uniformity of the crosssection and the continuity of the gage ,7 line being preserved throughout the intermediend portionrof' said region having a plane base 

